


Slow Life

by faerierequiem



Category: Slow Starter (Manga)
Genre: M/M, anal sex and handjobs in a later chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-10-31
Packaged: 2018-04-19 09:33:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4741421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faerierequiem/pseuds/faerierequiem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short fanfics for the cutest BL manga ever, <i>Slow Starter</i>, by Ichikawa Kei.<br/>Instead of posting each fic individually, I'll just compile them all in here whenever I happen to write one. Please enjoy! ^^</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Umbrellas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kiyo forgets to bring his umbrella with him on a rainy night, so Ino decides to bring it to him.

“Kiyo?”

Ino stepped into the apartment. He closed his umbrella and placed it into the umbrella rack near the door, noticing that Kiyo’s umbrella was present. Kiyo was supposed to have been working a late-night shift, but maybe he had been let out early.

Ino shut the door behind him and called out Kiyo’s name again, but there was still no answer.  _He’s probably asleep_ , he thought to himself. He checked Kiyo’s bedroom, but Kiyo wasn’t in there or sleeping in the living room.

 _Is he still at work_? Ino glanced out the window. Rain fell against the glass in silent, constant drops. It had been raining for probably the past hour. Ino’s gaze shifted towards the umbrella rack that still held Kiyo’s umbrella. He shook his head and smiled. Silly Kiyo. Of course, the day it rained was the day he forgot to bring an umbrella with him.

Digging into his pocket for his phone, Ino pulled it out and sent a text to Kiyo,

_I’m coming over to your work to bring you an umbrella. Don’t want you getting wet._

He put his phone back into his pocket and turned for the door, grabbing Kiyo’s umbrella on the way out.

* * *

The mochi shop Kiyo worked at was about a twenty minute walk from his apartment.

When Ino entered the shop, he closed and leaned the umbrella against the rack at the entrance and walked up to the counter.

The girl behind the counter gave him a friendly smile. “What would you like?”

“Ah, I’m sorry.” Ino shook his head. “I’m not here to buy anything. I came to bring an umbrella for Kiyo.”

“Kiyomiya-kun?” The girl asked.

Ino nodded.

“Oh, yes!” Her eyes widened. “He already left a while ago.”

“He did?” Ino felt a little crestfallen at the thought of Kiyo walking through the rain all drenched. He checked his phone to see if he’d missed a call or text from Kiyo, but there was none. He thanked the girl and decided to buy a box of strawberry daifuku as a sign of appreciation.

When Ino neared the door, he noticed Kiyo’s umbrella was gone. He sighed, feeling his spirits dampen, and glanced outside at the pouring rain. Now he was going to have to walk home all drenched as well. He tucked the box of strawberry daifuku under the cover of his jacket and left the shop.

The rain soaked into his clothes in the matter of a minute. Ino frowned to himself, wondering if the box of strawberry daifuku would survive the walk. He ducked under the cover of a shop’s overhang and checked. At the moment, the box was dry and the daifuku safe.

Ino moved a wet lock of hair out from his eyes. Just as he was about to reach into his pocket for his phone, he heard it begin to ring. Quickly, he picked it up. “Hello?”

“Ino, I’m so sorry! My phone ran out of batteries. And I just plugged it in to charge it right now and saw your text. Where are you?” Kiyo’s voice was a mixture of worry and apologetic.

Ino looked around at his surroundings, at the passing people, and at the store signs that lit up the wet streets, and told Kiyo the location. “Um, Kiyo, I lost your umbrella. Someone took it at the shop, so…” He hesitated, embarrassed. “If you don’t mind, could you walk over here with an umbrella? I left mine by the door.”

“Of course! I’ll be there right away. Just wait for me.” Kiyo hung up. Ino could almost imagine him fumbling to get ready to leave and held back a laugh.

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Kiyo came running up, almost colliding into two school girls. He bowed and apologized to them before joining Ino underneath the overhang. Ino noticed how Kiyo’s clothes were still damp. He hadn’t even taken the time to change into new ones before leaving the apartment.

Ino smiled and held up the box of daifuku. “Want some?”

Kiyo looked like he was holding back a pout. “You’re completely soaked. Ino, I’m really sorry.”

Ino shook his head. “I’m fine. You’re still soaked, too.” He opened the box. “Here. Have some. I got some strawberry daifuku from the mochi shop.”

Kiyo took one, still near-pouting.

Ino reached up a finger and pushed up a side of Kiyo’s mouth. He watched him eat it and then ate one of his own before closing the box. “Good, isn’t it? The strawberry still tastes fresh.”

Kiyo nodded, swallowing down the daifuku. Blushing, he reached up and poked Ino in the cheek. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

“Um, yeah.” At Kiyo’s touch, Ino felt a wave of fluttery nerves, but he tried his best to ignore it as he got underneath the umbrella with Kiyo.

They started for Kiyo’s apartment. Ino was all too aware of Kiyo’s shoulder brushing against his own, but he focused his attention on the box of daifuku. Barely less than a minute later, the rain seized to fall.

Ino exchanged a look with Kiyo and they both started laughing.

“Well, that was a waste,” he said.

Kiyo was grinning as he closed the umbrella. “It was fun at least.”

“Yeah.” Ino gently pushed his shoulder onto Kiyo’s. “And it’s nice walking this close to you. I like it.”

“Yeah.” Kiyo coughed, his face strange. “I think that was the first time we’ve shared an umbrella together.”

“It was.” Ino looked down at the box of daifuku, feeling self-conscious.

“Er, Ino?”

“Yeah?”

“I— I love you.”

Ino’s eyes widened and his cheeks reddened. He was not aware of the nearing puddle until Kiyo tugged at his arm and pulled him out of the way. He looked down at the puddle as they walked by it. It was a large puddle, reflecting night lights up at him.

Kiyo’s following words were fast-paced and achingly honest. “I mean, I hope it’s not too soon to say that. We’ve been dating for more than a year and I think it’s obvious that I…I love you, but I want to say it out loud.” He paused. “Is it too soon?”

Ino shook his head. His eyes flickered around them. No one seem to be looking at them, so he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kiyo’s lips. “I love you, too.  _A lot_.” He quickly pulled away and let go of the box of strawberry daifuku with one hand to scratch at the back of his neck. A nervous habit.

Kiyo didn’t speak. Ino risked a look up at his face to see that he was smiling.

“Um, Kiyo?” He asked, uncertainly.

Kiyo looked at him. His lips were now pressed together as he tried to stop his smile from widening. “I love you, Ino.”

Ino let out a shaky laugh. He might not be used to it now, but it made him happy to hear those words from Kiyo. “I love you, Kiyo.”

A playful look fell onto Kiyo’s face. “I love you more.”

“I love you the most.” Ino bit back a grin.

Kiyo chuckled. “It feels like our confession all over again.”

Ino nodded, laughing. “But even better.”

Kiyo pressed his shoulder against Ino’s. They shared a wide smile and continued walking home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you tumblr, check out the fic here: http://faerielament.tumblr.com/post/128566461601/slow-starter-umbrellas - and reblog/like!


	2. Vacation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ino and Kiyo go on a trip to the beach with Kiyo’s parents.

“It’s been so long since I’ve been to the beach. I think the last time I went was when I was nine… Or wait, maybe I was ten?” Ino grinned. “My brother and I had a swimming contest to see who could swim out the furthest, but my mom stopped us. She didn’t want us going out too far. We weren’t very good swimmers anyways…”

As Ino continued his excited chatter, Kiyo tried to share his enthusiasm, but he found it hard to forget his nervousness. Of course, he was looking forward to going to the beach with Ino, but they would also be going with his parents—as well as staying the night before with them. He remembered the conversation with his mother on the phone and how nervous he’d been to bring up Ino.

“H-He’s a really, really good friend” was all he’d managed to say.

Kiyo winced to himself as he thought about it. There were challenges he faced for dating Ino. And trying to figure out what to say to his mother was one of them.

“Kiyo?”

“Ah!” Kiyo focused his attention back on Ino. He felt his face heat up. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

Ino studied him, curiously. “Are you alright?”

“I… My parents… I’m just…” Kiyo stammered to answer before blurting out, “I really hope you like my parents.”

He held his breath as he waited for Ino’s reply. The train turned around a bend, jostling him against the person behind him. Kiyo tightened his grip on his handlebar. A mother and her child laughed from a seat nearby.

Uncertainty flashed across Ino’s face. “Do you think they’ll like me?”

“What?” Kiyo stared. “Of course they’ll like you!”

Ino scratched at his neck, looking dubious. “Really?”

“Really,” Kiyo insisted. “They’ll like you so much they’ll be asking me afterwards when you’ll visit again.”

Ino smiled a small, trusting smile. “Alright.”

* * *

Even though it had been two summers ago since Kiyo last saw it, the station still looked so familiar. It was as if he’d never left. The train pulled to a stop at the station. Through the window, Kiyo caught sight of his parents waiting. His father’s hands were on his mother’s shoulders as the both of them looked towards the train expectantly.

Kiyo swallowed down his nerves and managed to give Ino a quick, reassuring smile. He grabbed hold of his suitcase and stepped out of the train, Ino following behind. The wheels of his suitcase rolling against the ground was the only sound enveloping Kiyo’s world before his father called out his name.

“Kiyo! It’s so good to see you!” His father reached them first, giving him a pat on the shoulder and shaking hands with Ino. “Here,” he said to Ino, “I can take care of your bag for you.”

“Oh…” Ino’s eyes widened in slight surprise, but as he was struggling to come up with a polite refusal, Kiyo’s father had already taken the suitcase.

“You must be Ino-kun.” Kiyo’s mother neared them.

“Ah, yes.” Ino bowed to her and quickly to Kiyo’s father. “My name is Ino. It’s very nice to meet you both.”

Kiyo’s mother nodded her head. “Please,” she said, “you may call us Mr. and Mrs. Shimizu.”

Ino nodded earnestly. “Yes, Mrs. Shimizu.”

“I’ve heard so many good things from Kiyo about you.” His mother smiled. “He tells me you are both really good friends.”

“How long have you known each other?” His father asked.

“Since our third year of high school,” Ino answered, promptly.

“That’s a very long time.” Kiyo’s mother looked at Kiyo and he nearly flinched at the sharp look in her eyes. “Kiyo, why didn’t you introduce us to him sooner?”

“I… Um, I just never got around to it,” Kiyo said.

To Kiyo’s relief, there was no time spent over his lame response. His parent’s attention were focused on Ino and they did not hesitate in ushering him towards the car. Kiyo trailed after them and smiled to himself. It was nice having Ino be a part of his family.

* * *

“Ino-kun, would you like more tonkatsu?”

Ino shook his head. “No, thank you, Mrs. Shimizu.” He turned back to Kiyo’s father. “And what happened after that, Mr. Shimizu?”

Kiyo held back a groan. He had been looking forward to eating dinner with Ino and his parents, but he hadn’t been expecting his father to tell embarrassing stories—especially not the one about when he’d refused to take off his baseball uniform.

His father took a sip of water, but Kiyo knew how much his father was enjoying this moment. He had always liked storytelling. “At last, Kiyo’s mother and I decided to let him sleep in it, but later on in the night, I sneaked back into the room to change him out of the uniform. I started with his shirt, but before I could even lift it above his head, Kiyo was awake and fighting me. He punched me really good”—Kiyo’s father held a fist up to his right cheek—“right here.”

Kiyo caught Ino holding back a laugh. “Did you give up?” he asked.

Kiyo’s father smiled. “No, I sat down and explained to Kiyo how disgraceful it was to baseball that he was wearing his uniform when he wasn’t practicing or playing. Kiyo was so ashamed he cried. Then, he changed into his pajamas and never again did he wear his uniform to bed.”

This time Ino couldn’t hold back his laughter and Kiyo blushed in embarrassment.

“Kiyo never told you that story?” His mother asked.

Ino shook his head, still laughing a bit.

“I don’t see why he wouldn’t,” Kiyo’s father said. “It’s a wonderful story.”

“I was eleven,” Kiyo murmured, defensively.

Ino gave him a smile. “Ah, that’s so cool. You’ve been passionate about baseball for a long time then,” he said and Kiyo felt his blush deepen for a new reason. Underneath the table, Ino nudged his feet with his.

Kiyo’s father stood up from the table. “I’ll go prepare the futons.”

“I can help!” Ino quickly followed after, leaving Kiyo with his mother.

His mother looked at him. “Ino-kun is a very nice boy.”

“Yeah…” Kiyo nodded, slowly, and chose his words carefully. “He has a good heart.”

“Certainly not as eccentric as Fuji-kun.” His mother chuckled. She got up and went into the kitchen.

At the mention of Fuji, Kiyo smiled. Fuji was busy with school, but Kiyo had seen him at New Year’s and he’d been loud as always.

“Kiyo, can you clear the table for me?” His mother called.

Kiyo stood up. “Yeah, mom!”

* * *

“Kiyo?”

“Hmm?”

Ino shifted around in his futon and onto his stomach. He propped his chin up with his hands. “I’m glad we decided to do this.”

“Me too.” Kiyo smiled up at Ino. Moonlight fell in through the window, making the room less dark than it would’ve otherwise been and giving Ino a beautiful glow. He sat up and leaned in to kiss Ino, placing a hand onto Ino’s left cheek.

The kiss was slow and quiet. For a long moment, it was all Kiyo cared about until Ino finally pulled away.

“Your parents…” He began, feebly.

Kiyo gazed at Ino before moving his hand through Ino’s hair. “Okay.”

Ino nodded, turning his head to look out the window.

“Ino?”

“Yeah?”

Kiyo ran a lock of Ino’s hair between his fingers. “Do you want me to tell my parents that we’re…that we’re lovers?”

Ino was quiet. Then, just as Kiyo was about to say anything out of desperation, he said, “One day. But… Maybe not this visit.” His next words were rushed. “You have really good parents, Kiyo, and since this is the first time I’m meeting them, I don’t want them to… Well, I guess I want them to like me first before they know we’re lovers.”

“Oh.” Kiyo nodded in understanding.

“W-Would it matter to them?” Ino asked.

Kiyo thought about it. “I’m not sure,” he admitted.

Ino met his eyes. “I almost told Kubo once.”

Kiyo’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah.” Ino shrugged, awkwardly. “But I was so nervous that I ended up not saying anything.”

Kiyo thought of Fuji and Kogure. “I know what you mean.”

Ino reached up to grab the hand Kiyo had in his hair. Then, he took Kiyo’s other hand in his other hand and laid their hands down between them. “Beach day tomorrow.”

Kiyo felt a rush of excitement at the thought of it. “Yup. It’s going to be fun.”

They smiled at each other before lying back down in their futons.

Ino took Kiyo’s hand in his again. “Goodnight, Kiyo.”

Kiyo pressed a kiss to Ino’s hand. “’Night, Ino.”

* * *

“Whoooa!” Kiyo grinned. He had his face almost pressed against the car window as he glanced out at the beach. The blue ocean sparkled with sunshine and stretched out onwards to the horizon. “It’s so pretty!”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Ino say from his seat next to him, “Kiyo, move over a little. I want to see.”

Kiyo moved so that Ino could lean over and look out the window. “Doesn’t it look pretty?” He asked.

Ino nodded, smiling. “Very pretty.”

“It feels like so long since I’ve been to the beach,” Kiyo said. He stretched his arms upwards to loosen his muscles. It has also been so long since he’d been trapped in a car for this long.

From the driver’s seat, Kiyo’s father asked, “Have you improved on your swimming, Kiyo?”

“Of course, dad.” Kiyo held back a cringe, hoping that his father wouldn’t tell Ino another embarrassing story.

To Kiyo’s relief, his father was not in a storytelling mood. “What about you, Ino-kun? Are you a good swimmer?”

“I’m okay at swimming,” Ino said.

As Ino and his father chatted, Kiyo glanced back out the window. The good, summer weather had brought plenty of people to the beach. It was going to be a bustling, but fun day.

The car turned into a parking lot and Kiyo’s father found a spot to park in a far corner.

His father gently shook his mother awake. She had dozed off in the passenger’s seat, but Kiyo couldn’t blame her. She’d woken early to prepare food for the trip. At the thought of the delicious food, Kiyo felt hungry, but also happy. Especially after last night he’d realized how much he missed his mother’s cooking.

They all proceeded to get out of the car. Ino carried the beach chairs and left with Kiyo’s father, who held the beach umbrella, to find a spot and set up. Kiyo stayed behind with his mother. She sorted through the bags and gave him some to carry.

“Make sure not to drop that one,” she said, pointing. “Hmm… I’m sure I brought more than this.”

“Mom, this is already a lot,” Kiyo said. “We might have to share with the whole beach.”

His mother raised an eyebrow at him and Kiyo laughed.

She surveyed the things before nodding. “Okay.”

They walked towards the beach. Kiyo eagerly looked around. Kids chased each other across the sand and built castles. People laid back in chairs, bathing in the sunshine and clad in sunglasses. A group of schoolboys and schoolgirls played volleyball further down the beach. He looked towards the ocean, where parents played with their children and people swam out against the tide. He smiled.

Kiyo’s mother spotted his father and they headed towards him. The beach umbrella had been set up and the beach chairs laid out. There was no sign of Ino.

“Where did Ino go?” Kiyo asked.

“A woman came up to the lifeguard, almost near tears. She was worried her sons had swam out too far and she didn’t want them getting stung by jellyfish. Ino-kun overheard and volunteered to help the lifeguard retrieve one of the boys,” his father explained.

“Ah.” Kiyo nodded. He thought of Ino as a superhero and smiled. Ino the hero. He liked the sound of that. Maybe even Ino being a part of the Super Sentai team. Kiyo couldn’t help but let out a laugh at the image.

He set down the bags of food where his mother told him to and sat down in one of the beach chairs. He leaned back in it, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the smell of the ocean, the warmth of the sun on his skin.

His father’s voice sounded out. “There’s the lifeguard!”

Kiyo opened his eyes, peering over in the direction his father was looking at. He caught sight of a distraught woman running up to hug a little boy, who was walking onto the shore with a lifeguard behind him.

His father frowned. “Strange. Ino-kun should’ve been back before the lifeguard.”

Kiyo stood upright from the beach chair. “What?”

“The boy Ino-kun had to get wasn’t as far out as the other boy,” his father replied and his mother said something, but all sound had drowned out from Kiyo’s ears.

Kiyo stared out at the vast, endless ocean with wide eyes.  _No, no,_ no _. Ino can’t— This day is supposed to be—_  Kiyo couldn’t finish his thoughts, his mind was a mess of growing fear. The breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding fell out from him as a cough. He searched for any sign of Ino’s brown-haired head poking out of the waters or Ino walking onto the beach, safe and sound. There were no signs.

Suddenly, Kiyo hated the thought of Ino the hero. There were no guarantees that heroes survived in reality.

And he’d been so stupid. What was he thinking? This whole time Ino had been saying that he wasn’t the best swimmer. They should’ve gone to the mountains. Kiyo clenched his hands into fists, trying not to let his panic show.

“Kiyo?” Kiyo’s mother placed a hand on his arm.

“Don’t worry,” his father said. “I’m sure Ino-kun is fine.”

“But what if he’s not?” Kiyo demanded.

His parents stared at him.

Kiyo sucked in a breath. He hadn’t meant to be so loud. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” his mother assured him. “We know you’re worried, but trust us: He’ll be fine.”

Kiyo nodded, but his fingers tightened even more in his fists. He’d never, ever before thought of the possibility of Ino—

“Hey, there he is!” His father exclaimed.

Quickly, Kiyo looked in the direction his father pointed towards. At the sight of Ino carrying a small boy in his arms, Kiyo fell back down onto his chair and sighed in relief.  _Thank goodness._ His hands uncurled from his fists.

He watched as Ino handed the small boy over to the mother and the lifeguard bowed to him in gratitude. Ino smiled shyly in return. Kiyo couldn’t believe that only a moment ago he had thought he would never see that smile again. His chest hurt.

Kiyo’s father called out Ino’s name.

Ino waved in their direction before walking over.

Kiyo squinted. Was Ino limping slightly? Or was he still too overwhelmed to think right? He got up and ran over to meet Ino as he approached. “Ino, are you okay?” He asked.

Ino gave him a smile. “Just a small jellyfish sting,” he said.

“Where?” Frantically, Kiyo glanced over Ino’s face, neck, shoulders, chest, arms, and legs.

Ino turned a bit, showing where a red welt ran horizontally across his calf. It almost looked like one of those innocent scratches that appeared after a shower, but Kiyo knew better and he wasn’t risking any chances.

Before even he knew was he was doing, Kiyo was carrying Ino on his back.

Ino let out a small yelp, throwing his arms around Kiyo, so that he wouldn’t fall backwards. “Kiyo, what are you doing?”

“You need it taken care of,” Kiyo said. He set his jaw and ignored the stares as he passed by people. He heard his parents calling out to them and Ino shouting back, “Everything’s okay. Don’t worry yourselves!”

Kiyo felt Ino lean his chest against his back. The seawater on Ino’s skin soaked into his shirt. When Ino spoke, his voice was close to Kiyo’s ear. “Kiyo.”

For a brief moment, Kiyo closed his eyes.

“Kiyo?”

“Yeah?”

“I can walk,” Ino said.

“I know you can,” Kiyo agreed, “but I’d prefer you not to.”

Ino was quiet. Then, Kiyo felt him nod. “Okay.” More silence. “Are you taking me to a hospital? I don’t think there’s any around.”

“No.” Kiyo shook his head and tried to let out an even breath. “Since the sting isn’t that serious, I’ll just rinse it in vinegar. I’m pretty sure I saw a store close to here that I can get some vinegar from.”

Ino began to laugh.

At the sound of Ino’s laughter, Kiyo smiled. “What’s so funny?”

Between his laughter, Ino managed to say, “You’re going to walk all the way to the store carrying me?”

Hearing the idea out loud made Kiyo blush. It was pretty ridiculous.

“Kiyo, over there.” Ino pointed to a bench underneath a group of trees. “I’ll wait under there for you.”

Kiyo relented. He brought Ino over to the bench and Ino got off his back to sit down. Kiyo hesitated, struggling to do what he wanted to do, and was able to press a quick kiss to Ino’s lips before running off to the store.

* * *

“That was fast.” Ino smiled up at Kiyo as he neared closer.

Kiyo shrugged. He sat down on the ground in front of Ino.

“Ah! I should stand up, shouldn’t I?” Ino got up and turned around.

“You were limping a little before,” Kiyo said. “Are you sure you’re fine standing up?”

Ino nodded, looking over his shoulder at Kiyo. “Yeah. It doesn’t even hurt a lot.”

“Okay.” Kiyo eyed the welt on Ino’s calf. “Did the waves already remove the tentacles?”

"Yeah, some of them," Ino replied. "I scraped the rest off while you were gone."

“Ah, okay." Kiyo opened the bottle of vinegar. “The vinegar might sting a little. I’ll rinse the welt for thirty seconds.”

“Alright.” Ino didn’t make a noise as Kiyo slowly tipped the vinegar onto his skin, but Kiyo saw the muscles in his calf tense at first.

Kiyo counted out thirty seconds in his head. Then, he closed up the bottle. “Okay. I’m done. You can sit back down now.”

“Thanks, Kiyo.” Ino sat back on the bench. “Where did you learn how to take care of jellyfish stings?” he asked.

“Um…” Kiyo tried to remember. “It was something I learned somewhere. Maybe my mom. She’s really knowledgeable about this sort of thing.”

“I see.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t something worse. I wouldn’t have known what to do. And…” Kiyo trailed off.

He could feel Ino’s curious gaze on him, but Kiyo didn’t look up. He couldn’t meet Ino’s gaze. If he did, Ino would see how he really felt.

“And what?” Ino prompted.

Kiyo covered his face and turned his head to the ground. “A-And…” He sighed. “And maybe no one would’ve been able to save you in time.” With that, the emotions he’d been trying to keep inside came bubbling out. Tears stung at his eyes. Even now, Kiyo felt shaken by the thoughts of what if Ino had never shown up, carrying that small boy in his arms.

“Kiyo, don’t think like that.” Ino softly patted his hair with a hand. “I’m here.”

Kiyo leaned his head into Ino’s touch, trying not to cry. “I know, but that’s what scares me the most. I was so worried, Ino, because I’m so used to having you around and I-I thought maybe I would never… I would never see you  _alive_  again. It’s too scary. I don’t know how I would survive that—” His words broke off in a sob he couldn’t contain. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Ino’s voice was quiet. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Kiyo shook his head. Ino had been doing the right thing. He didn’t need to apologize. He struggled to hold back his tears, but they could no longer be held back and fell down his cheeks in fast drops like the rain in June.

Gently, Ino removed his hand from his face, squeezing it inside his own hand before wiping away the tears.

Kiyo’s cheeks reddened. Ino had seen him cry before, but it didn’t happen often and every time he felt like a little kid. “I’m really sorry.” He sniffed. “This is so embarrassing.”

Ino made a small, contradicting noise and ran his thumbs underneath Kiyo’s eyes, cupping Kiyo’s face between his hands. “Come sit up here with me.”

Kiyo didn’t need to be told twice.

They sat there on the bench, side-by-side, with Ino’s hand placed over his in the space between them. Kiyo tried to compose himself, but every once in a while when the tears fell, Ino would turn and wipe them away. By the careful touch of his fingers and the soft look in his eyes, Kiyo could tell that Ino would wait here for however long Kiyo needed him to.

“Do you remember me telling you how I felt when I first realized I was in love with you?” Ino asked.

Kiyo nodded. He remembered everything about that night. It had been very late, but he’d been far from tired, too immersed in how Ino’s breath sounded between moans, how Ino’s bare skin felt against his, and how warm Ino was inside his arms, to fall asleep. Ino had kissed him and told him about the day. At first, he had thought he’d gone crazy, but then—and most of all—he’d been so happy, because it had felt so right, so natural, so true in a way nothing in his life had before.

“I have never forgotten that feeling,” Ino said. “Because you keep reminding me of it. And it’s… It’s times like now that I know…”

New tears came to Kiyo’s eyes. He covered his face as he started crying all over again. “I’m ruining everything,” he complained between sobs. “Today was supposed to be fun.”

“Shh.” Ino hugged him. “We still have plenty of hours left. I just hope your parents aren’t too worried.”

Kiyo wiped at his nose. “They are.”

Ino patted him on the back. “Just cry it out.”

Kiyo let out a shaky, frustrated breath. “Ino?”

“Yeah?”

“I hate crying.”

Ino let out a little laugh. “I know.”

* * *

The sun had started to slip into the horizon. It left the day with a dark blue hue and pale clouds dotted the sky. The beach had long since faded from sight, but Kiyo’s thoughts still lingered on the memories of the day: splashing in the ocean with Ino, playing and losing the game of volleyball, eating his mother’s delicious food, lying in the shade of the beach umbrella, letting Ino pile sand onto his legs, hearing his father tell more embarrassing stories, running across the beach with Ino’s laughter in his ears…

“Kiyo.”

Kiyo started out of his thoughts and immediately checked that he hadn’t awoken Ino, who slept with his head on Kiyo’s shoulder. His mother had also fallen asleep again, leaving only Kiyo and his father awake.

“You and Ino-kun are very close.”

From the backseat, Kiyo studied the side view of his father’s face. His expression seemed to be passive, casual. “Yes,” he said, unsure of what else to say. “We are.”

His father nodded. “I’m glad. Your mother and I both. He’s a good person.”

“Yes.” Kiyo smiled and gently brushed his hand across Ino’s. “He is.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you tumblr, check out the fic here: faerielament.tumblr.com/post/129438109861/slow-starter-vacation - and reblog/like!


	3. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyo and Ino do it for the first time.

“Ino, it’s going to be your birthday soon, isn’t it?”

“Huh?” Ino didn’t take his eyes off the game as he answered. “Oh yeah, it’s next Monday.”

After having finished a simple dinner, they were now playing Kiyo’s PlayStation. Kiyo had already won one game and now Ino was working hard on not losing again. For a brief moment, Kiyo let himself stare at Ino’s concentrated face before turning back to the game.

“Is there anything you would like?” Kiyo asked. “For your birthday present?”

Ino didn’t answer immediately.

They continued playing the game quietly and Kiyo was about to win again when the game suddenly paused.

Kiyo’s eyes widened as Ino surprised him with a kiss. When Ino leaned closer against him, Kiyo felt his head spin. He liked kissing Ino. He liked it a lot, but the last time the kissing had gotten this intense they had given each other handjobs. Kiyo had been wondering when it—and maybe even more—would happen again, but so far nothing else had happened.

Ino had been talking about doing more research… Kiyo wondered if he had. He’d tried to do some searching himself, but it was embarrassing looking that stuff up. He’d even looked at porn, but as well as being the most embarrassing research material, there were things Kiyo had seen in porn that he would never try out with Ino, horrifying things that didn’t seem enjoyable at all.

Ino pulled away from the kiss.

“I-Ino?” Kiyo took in a shaky breath.

He watched as Ino took off his shirt, pulling it over his head and tossing it to the floor. Kiyo gulped at the sight of Ino’s bare chest. It wasn’t as if he’d never seen it before, but right now things were different.

“Um… Kiyo?” Ino met his gaze before quickly looking away. He held the back of one hand up against his mouth. “I don’t know how else to say this, but… Would you— Do you want to do it?”

Kiyo’s stared, speechless, but when Ino’s eyes quickly flickered to his face, he stammered out, “R-Right now?”

Ino nodded, his face red.

Kiyo struggled to say something and when he did it came out louder than he had meant it to be. “Yes! I do want to!”

Ino flinched, but then his hand fell from his face. “Really?”

Kiyo nodded, eagerly. “Really! Why wouldn’t I?”

“I don’t know.” Ino shrugged, uncertainly.

Kiyo pouted. “We already went over this. I want to do stuff with you, too,” he said. “But Ino to be safe…don’t we need c-condoms…and other things?”

Ino covered his face with his hands. “Um, actually I already…have those things.”

“Oh.” Kiyo felt surprised, but it quickly went away. He wanted to ask Ino how long he’d had things ready, but maybe that would embarrass Ino even more, so instead he simply nodded. “Okay. So… Do you, uh, what do you want to be?”

“Want to be?” Ino peeked a glance over his hands, uncomprehending.

“You know…pitcher or catcher?” Kiyo blushed. He’d been a catcher for his baseball team and he wouldn’t mind being a catcher for Ino, even if it was a different kind of catcher.  _But the person on top… Isn’t that a lot of pressure? Would Ino like that?_

Kiyo started at the sound of Ino’s voice. “Well, I’d like to be the catcher”— _uwaaah, so it’s up to me_ —“…please.”

Kiyo laughed.

Ino’s eyes widened in alarm. “What is it?”

“What’s with the manners?” Kiyo asked, grinning. He leaned in to press a kiss to Ino’s lips. “I might not be very good, but I will try my best to make you happy.”

Ino murmured something, but Kiyo didn’t hear it. “Huh? What did you say?”

Ino hugged him. “I’m already very happy.”

Kiyo hugged him back. “Then I’ll make you happier!”

He felt Ino nod. “Please do.”

* * *

Kiyo began to undress. He stood on the ground by the foot of his bed. As he pulled off his shirt, he snuck a glance at Ino, who laid on the bed, every surface of his skin visible to see. But quick glances were not enough. Kiyo wanted a longer look.

Ino sat up and hunched over to look at his hands. “It makes me nervous lying on your bed like this,” he said.

Kiyo pulled down and kicked off his pants and boxers before getting onto the bed. He noticed Ino glancing up at him and biting his lip before turning his face away.

“It’s okay,” Kiyo assured him. He placed a hand against Ino’s shoulder and laid him back down, sitting back on the heels of his feet as he took Ino in.

He’d seen Ino naked before, quick flashes in the shower as he brushed his teeth or in the mornings as Ino changed into day clothes, but this was the first time he’d ever seen Ino like this, completely bare because of Kiyo and nothing else. His body was beautiful, slim and pale and—Kiyo couldn’t help but run a hand up Ino’s thigh—smooth.

“Kiyo, is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong.” Kiyo looked up from Ino’s body and leaned forward, propping himself up with his hands as he kissed Ino across a shoulder. He squeezed his eyes closed.  _Whoa, I can’t believe this is happening._

“Ino?”

“Hmm?”

“Have you been working out?”

“It’s probably because of work.” Ino grabbed his face and pulled him upwards.

Kiyo’s mouth was slightly opened as his lips were pressed against Ino’s. The kiss was a wordless conversation, slow and then fast and energetic, and Kiyo never wanted it to end. For moment, he made an attempt to keep himself up by his elbows as he kissed Ino, but then kissing Ino completely stole his attention and he felt his chest pressing against Ino’s.

_So warm…_

Ino rubbed a hand against the back of his neck. As Kiyo kissed him, he was hazily aware of the sensation of Ino’s hand trailing down along his back and then down even lower…

Kiyo pulled away with a gasp. “W-What should we do first?”

Ino looked up at him, a little caught off guard, before pursing his lips as he thought. “I-I read somewhere that you can’t just, uh, enter me, because that would hurt,” he replied, his cheeks reddening. “And my hole is too tight, so you have to start with…” He held up a hand and wiggled his fingers.

Kiyo nodded, glancing at his own hand. He remembered seeing that in porn videos, except a lot of people had used an entire fist. That was something he’d never do with Ino. It looked too painful. Fingering seemed like a better way to go.

He shifted down a little, moving his middle and pointer finger between Ino’s legs.  _Uwaah, I’m touching Ino’s—_

“Ah! Kiyo, wait!” Ino moved out from him, startling Kiyo, and reached for a bottle he’d placed on the nightstand, which he handed to Kiyo. “This is lube. Apply it to your fingers.”

“Oh yeah, of course.” Kiyo took the bottle, laughing a little nervously, and opened it. He ran his thumb along his fingers, spreading out the lube as he put it on. The lube was cool and slippery on his skin.

Ino laid back down and Kiyo proceeded to slip in one finger.

A slight grimace came across Ino’s face, there for only one second, but Kiyo hesitated.

“Is it alright?” he asked.

Ino nodded, biting his lip. “It just feels a bit strange at first.”

Slowly, Kiyo moved his pointer finger back-and-forth. It did feel a little bit strange, but more than that, it made him feel a little amazed. That he was now touching Ino like this. He slipped his finger in all the way before drawing it back. “Ino?”

“Mm?”

“Can I put in another finger?”

Ino looked at him before nodding. “Yes… Alright.”

“Okay.” Kiyo took out his pointer finger and then slipped it back into Ino along with his middle finger.

“Ah!” A small sound sprung out from between Ino’s lips.

Kiyo stopped, eyes widening. “I-Ino??”

Ino shook his head. “Don’t worry…” he said, breathily. “Feels good. Keep going.”

Kiyo continued. He started slowly, back-and-forth with his fingers, only going in halfway at first before finally going in all the way. Ino moved slightly and Kiyo suddenly realized how hard he was. He took Ino’s erection in his other hand and ran his hand up-and-down along it, rubbing his thumb along the tip.

Ino let out a groan.

Kiyo glanced up to see pleasure on Ino’s face and felt a rush of excitement. He was moving his fingers back-and-forth all the way in now and he kept it at a steady pace as he quickened the hand he had on Ino’s erection. He might not be as familiar with fingering, but handjobs was one area he’d had practice with before.

Ino’s breaths rose and fell as if he’d been running. He moved slightly underneath Kiyo and gripped hard at the bedsheets. “Kiyo…” He gasped. “I think I’m going to come soon.”

Kiyo withdrew his fingers from Ino. He could his heart beating loudly in his ears as he leaned down and took Ino in his mouth, just slightly, running his tongue along the tip.

“Ngn…” Ino moaned.

Kiyo kissed down the length of Ino before leaning back up, keeping his hand moving along Ino. A moment later, Ino came. At the sight of it, Kiyo felt his own erection beginning to throb and reached down his free hand.

“Kiyo…” Ino sat up, unsteadily propping himself up by an elbow as he reached out a hand. “Here. Let me do it.”

As Ino took him in his hand, Kiyo stifled back a moan. “Nnn.” It felt good. Really good. He moved forward to kiss Ino. Fervently, Ino kissed him back. “Ino, can I…?” Kiyo pressed his forehead against Ino’s, trying to catch his breath. “Can I put in three fingers now?”

Ino nodded against him.

Clumsily, Kiyo fumbled for the bottle of lube, trying to focus on reapplying it to his fingers even as Ino was working at his erection. They were both breathing hard and it seemed to Kiyo as if there would never be enough air in the room.

Ino’s grip on him tightened as Kiyo inserted one, two, three fingers inside of him. Kiyo heard Ino suck in a breath just before he came. His forehead fell against Ino’s shoulder as he ejaculated, but he was comfortable enough now not to have to focus his complete attention on the fingering—and could instead focus on the pleasure that grew to almost unbearable heights.

Ino felt even tighter around his three fingers, but slowly and surely it was helping him loosen up.

“Ah! Nn…” Ino wrapped an arm around Kiyo and spoke. His words sounded close to Kiyo’s ear. At the sound of his voice, breathless and gruff, Kiyo went weak. “Kiyo, I… Ngh. I’d like it if… You can”—Kiyo felt Ino wrap a hand around his dick—“put it in me now.”

Kiyo felt himself go even weaker. He closed his eyes and nodded. “Okay. I understand.” He moved his fingers back-and-forth for another second before withdrawing them.

“C-Condom.” Unsteadily, Ino turned and moved a bit, reaching for a condom packet. “Here.”

With slightly shaky fingers, Kiyo opened the packet and put on the condom. He let out a sigh of relief. It was easier than he’d expected.

“Um, do you want me to turn over?” Ino asked.

“Eh?” Kiyo made eye-contact with Ino, but then looked away, feeling self-conscious. “Well, actually… I’d like it more if I could see your expression.”

Ino put a hand to his face and nodded. “Mm, okay.” He leaned back on his elbows, keeping his head turned off to the side.

Kiyo pressed his lips together, trying to look assured as he put on lube, took himself in his hand, and angled the tip against Ino’s entrance. He couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of how important this moment was.  _I hope I don’t disappoint Ino._  He started to insert himself inside Ino.  _So tight…_

“Oh!” Ino fell onto his back and Kiyo felt the brush of Ino’s skin as he arched upwards.

“Does it hurt?” Kiyo asked, quietly.

“No.” Ino shook his head, panting. “Not at all.”

Kiyo wiped the sweat from his forehead and put himself in all the way. He moved down and began kissing Ino. As they kissed, Kiyo slowly began thrusting. He didn’t know what it felt like in Ino’s position, but it felt really good to be connected to Ino like this… Really, _really_ good. He groaned into Ino’s mouth.

Ino’s fingers pressed into Kiyo’s back as he wrapped his legs around Kiyo and pulled him in closer, deeper, harder.

Kiyo quickened his thrusts and in response, Ino almost bit his tongue. Kiyo broke away from the kiss, looking down at Ino through half-opened eyes. Ino’s teeth were gritted together as shallow breaths came and went. His eyes were drawn closed. His brown hair fell back on the bed, strands of it slick with sweat. His cheeks were flushed with a color that Kiyo knew must be on his own face. _Uwaaa, he looks so sexy._

He could feel himself reaching his climax. “Ino,” he neared his lips close to Ino’s ear, “I…ngn…love you.”

Ino nodded. “Love you…too. Ah!”

Kiyo shuddered as he came.

A small sound came out from Ino, almost a whimper. “Whoa, Kiyo…that feels really amazing.” His hips grinded against Kiyo as Kiyo’s orgasm came to an end.

Kiyo kissed Ino, taking himself out and straddling Ino.

“…My birthday present,” Ino murmured against his lips.

Kiyo pulled back a bit. “Hm?”

“This is what I want for my birthday,” Ino said, blushing.

“Eh? Then why didn’t we wait to do this on your birthday?” Kiyo asked.

“I couldn’t wait,” Ino admitted, sheepishly. “And you were really great I couldn’t stop.”

Kiyo’s cheeks reddened. “M-Maybe I can be the catcher on your birthday.”

“I’d like that.” Ino smiled and then he drew Kiyo in for another kiss.

* * *

-

-

-

_Later on that night…_

Ino laid on his side with Kiyo spooning him from behind, and stared out ahead of him into the dark room. Kiyo had gone to sleep a while ago, but Ino was having troubling falling asleep. Too many thoughts were whirling around frantically in his head.

_Uwaaah, Kiyo had his fingers in me! 3 of them! And his mouth around m-my penis and his tongue, too. What did my face look like when he doing me? Was it strange? It probably looked really weird. Maybe he had his eyes closed, too. I hope he did. And I was out-of-breath the whole time, it probably ruined the mood… But we did keep going and doing a lot of other stuff. And he gave me a blowjob and s-swallowed my cum. Ah, I can’t believe he actually did it! What did it taste like? Did he like it? I wished I could ask him, but these questions are too embarrassing… No way can I ask them! I need to get some sleep! Waah, I can’t fall asleep. How did Kiyo manage to fall asleep? This is torture._

-

-

-

_The next morning…_

Kiyo pressed a kiss to Ino’s shoulder blade. “Good morning!”

_Good… morning…_

Ino felt a wave of hysteria as he blinked his dry, blood-shot eyes.  _Ahhhh, I’m so exhausted, but I didn’t manage to get any sleep at all…!_  TT_TT

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you tumblr, check out the fanfic here: http://faerielament.tumblr.com/post/130830971581/slow-starter-birthday - and like/reblog!


	4. Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuji tells Ino and Kiyo a ghost story the night before a summer festival.

Kogure, Fuji, and Okubo were visiting for the summer festival, which was going to take place the next day. They were all staying at Kiyo’s place. The night’s dormant silence had been settling over the room, but then Fuji sat up in his futon and asked, “Have any of you ever heard of the bodiless woman?”

“Bodiless woman?” Kogure repeated. He yawned from his spot, which Ino could hear from the other side of the room.

“Is this a ghost story?” Kiyo asked. “Because I don’t want to hear it.”

A small “ow!” was elicited from Kiyo’s mouth as Fuji slapped him on the arm. “Oh, c’mon, Kiyo! Summer is the perfect time for ghost stories!”

“I don’t care.” Kiyo made a move to get onto his feet. “I’m leaving. Get me when you’re done telling the story.”

“I’ll come with you,” Ino said, quickly getting up. He wasn’t a big fan of ghost stories either. Then again, he always tended to avoid scary things. It made life much easier.

“Fine!” Fuji called to them. “Then, I’ll just tell Kogure and Okubo and we’ll have so much fun—” He paused. “What? Okubo’s already asleep?!”

Fuji leapt onto his feet and linked his arms with Ino and Kiyo, tugging them back into the room. “I take it back! You two stay here!” He whispered the next part desperately, “Kogure never gets scared. He’s no fun at all.”

“I heard that,” Kogure said.

“What? Why?” Kiyo shook off Fuji’s arm. “You know how much I don’t like ghost stories…”

Fuji took Kiyo’s arm in his hands. “Please, Kiyo!” he begged. “I will forever be in your debt.”

“Don’t say extreme things that aren’t true,” Kiyo said.

Fuji turned to Ino. “Ino, you’re staying, right?”

Ino laughed, nervously. “Well, ghost stories scare me,” he admitted.

“You’re the perfect audience!” Fuji let go of Kiyo and pulled Ino back towards the futon.

Ino didn’t have the heart to protest further. He guessed just one ghost story couldn’t hurt…

Fuji sat Ino down with him on his futon. He hopped up and down in excitement. “Okay, story time.” He halted. “Kogure, come sit with us!”

Kogure yawned as he got up and joined them.

A second later, Ino started in surprise as Kiyo sat down next to him.

“So you decided to join us,” Fuji said to Kiyo, smugly.

“Yeah, yeah…” Kiyo murmured.

Ino had to try and hold back a smile as Kiyo tightly took his hand in his. He squeezed Kiyo’s hand back in reassurance.

Fuji rubbed his hands together. In the dimness, he almost looked like a madman.

Everything was still for a moment before Fuji’s voice creeped out, “Many, many years ago, a woman was decapitated for an unknown crime. Rather or not she was guilty of the crime, no one knows, but afterwards, her head was lost. No matter how hard they looked, no one could find it. It was as if her head had gotten up and left on its own.

“A few nights after the decapitation, a man was lying in bed and about to fall asleep when he caught sight of a shadow at his window. It appeared to be a long-haired woman walking back and forth. Thinking she was in distress and needed help, the man got up to open the window.

“‘Miss?’ he asked. ‘Are you alright?’

“It was then that he realized the woman had no body and only a head. He screamed as her head jumped down from the window and into the room, and slowly began making its way towards him.

“The next morning, the man was found dead. The only odd thing about his corpse was that it was headless. Now this particular man had been the one who had decapitated the woman, so talk began to spread amongst the people that she had come back to seek revenge for what he had done to her.

“Over the next few months, the number of headless victims began to grow and panic caused many of the people to leave the area. The few who stayed behind worried they might be next and nights were times of dread. However, to the people’s surprise, the number of headless victims ceased all together. Hope began to grow that the bodiless woman—as they began to call her—had stopped with her killings.

“One night, a young woman was walking back home through the dark. She heard dogs beginning to bark. The young woman quickened her pace. Foolishly, she glanced over her shoulder and to her horror, she saw something dark moving on the ground after her. She started to run, but the dark thing just moved even faster. She began screaming. The barking of the dogs became wilder. The young woman tripped and the dark thing landed on her shoulder.

“It was the bodiless woman.

“The next day, the young woman was found dead, except this time, her body was missing. Only her head remained.”

They waited, expecting more to the story, but Fuji only leaned back on his hands, seeming satisfied with himself.

Ino hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath. His breath trembled as he exhaled.

Kiyo’s grip on his hand was unbearably tight and throughout the story, his shoulder had pressed more and more against Ino’s. He knew Kiyo was regretting the choice to stay just as much as he was.

Finally, Kogure spoke, “That’s it?”

“Yup.” Fuji nodded.

“W-What kind of story was that?” Kiyo stammered.

“What do you mean?” Fuji asked.

“I… Well, I was expecting more,” Kiyo quickly said. “And that ending was horrible.”

“Really?” Fuji tilted his head. “What did you think, Ino?”

“It was…” Ino found his gaze flickering towards the window and he quickly looked away. “…Good.”

“Aww.” Fuji sounded disappointed. “None of you guys were scared?”

“Not really,” Kogure said.

“Hey, I wasn’t asking you,” Fuji cried. “You don’t count!”

“Gee, thanks.” Kogure got up and retreated back to his futon. “I’m so tired. Good night, everyone.”

 _He’s so unaffected by the story._ Ino couldn’t help but admire Kogure. Meanwhile, he knew he—as well as Kiyo—was going to have trouble sleeping now thanks to it.

* * *

“Eh? They already left?” Ino leaned against the wall as he waited for Kiyo to get ready. He had arrived from work to find only Kiyo left in the apartment.

“Yeah.” Kiyo appeared and reached for his shoes. “Or well, it’s more like I told them it was okay to leave without us.”

“I see. I did work a pretty late shift,” Ino said in understanding. “It wouldn’t be fair for them to not be able to enjoy the festival earlier.”

Kiyo nodded. “That, too, but also…” He trailed off and kissed Ino before pulling away and continuing, his face colored a faint red, “I like having our friends visiting, but… I feel like I haven’t been able to spend a lot of time alone with you.”

Ino looked at Kiyo and smiled. He’d been feeling the same thing, but he’d thought it had only been him who felt that way. “Me too.”

“Um, well, it’s only a walk, but it’s better than nothing, right?” Kiyo backed away, embarrassed.

Ino felt himself soften. “Right.”

Kiyo opened the door and leaned down to put on his shoes.

Ino stepped out after him, locking the door and shutting it. He turned and blinked in surprise when Kiyo held out a hand to him, but he did not hesitate to take it. “Kiyo.”

“Yeah?”

“Since this is our first festival together, let’s make sure to have lots of fun, okay?”

Kiyo grinned. “Okay.”

“If only I hadn’t had work today.” Ino glanced up at the sky, which was a dark blue. The sun probably wasn’t going to last for much longer. “It’s going to get dark soon.”

“Don’t worry,” Kiyo assured him. “Kogure told me about a faster way to get to the festival, so we’ll make it before the sun sets.”

At this, Ino was relieved. He’d forgotten about it, but now that nighttime was approaching, Ino couldn’t help but imagine dark shapes appearing at the corners of his eyes and the thought of looking back to find something following him.  _It’ll be alright. I’m with Kiyo._

And there were plenty of people walking around them. Ino took comfort in this fact as well. With this many people, there was no way anything could scare him.

“According to Kogure, we’re supposed to cut through this neighborhood and the festival will just be a short distance to the left,” Kiyo said.

Ino stopped.

They were standing before a dark, desolate neighborhood.

Ino glanced over his shoulder, at the people out to have a night of fun or walking back from work or cram school, and then back to the neighborhood.

He swallowed.

“Ino?”

“W-What?” Even to himself, Ino was aware of how odd his voice sounded.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” Ino lied. He tried to calm his nerves, hoping that he looked okay. “Let’s go.”

Kiyo interlocked his fingers between Ino’s, making Ino wonder if Kiyo was thinking the same things as he was, but then Kiyo began leading the way and Ino decided it was better not to ask. There wasn’t any need to bring up scary things, especially when nothing was going to happen. They would make it through the neighborhood and arrive at the festival, find the others, and enjoy themselves.

Off in the distance, a dog barked.

Ino’s eyes widened.

“I hope there’s an okonomiyaki stand at the festival,” Kiyo said. “I’m really in the mood for it.”

“Ah.” Ino smiled, half-heartedly. “Okonomiyaki sounds really good.”

“Doesn’t it?” Kiyo let out a little laugh. “I also really want some—”

A dog barked from nearby, startling the both of them. The dog let out another bark and then another and another.

Ino tightened his hold on Kiyo’s hand, trying to keep silent and wishing they hadn’t taken this shortcut.

Kiyo’s laughter turned nervous. “Don’t worry. I’m sure— Ahhh!”

Ino flinched. “What? What is it?” he demanded.

Kiyo didn’t answer. Instead, he broke off into a run, pulling Ino along with him.

Without thinking, Ino looked over his shoulder. At first, he couldn’t find what had scared Kiyo, but then he caught sight of a dark shape jumping down from a fence and chasing after them. A scream caught in his throat. He began running faster.

The next seconds seemed to stretch out into hours. All Ino was aware of was the dog still barking, the sound of Kiyo’s breaths as he ran next to him, and the terror that was growing in his chest as they ran from this dark thing.

At last, they made it out of the neighborhood, but they didn’t stop running. The festival seemed to be miles away.

Ino debated with himself rather or not to check if the thing was still following them. Then—before he could stop himself—Ino risked a glance over his shoulder.

A scream leapt out from his throat.

There it was, quickly catching up.

“Ino?” Kiyo yelped. “What is it?”

Ino tried to stop screaming, but he couldn’t. He was so scared.  _I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die._  He tore his gaze away from the dark thing.

Then, he tripped.

The sudden force of it broke his hand out from Kiyo’s and Ino fell to his knees, quickly managing to stop the impact from colliding with his face as he put out an arm to catch his fall. He stared down at the asphalt, unable to believe it. Of all the times to trip…

Something fell onto his back.

“Ahhhh!” Ino screamed. “It’s the bodiless woman!” He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hand hard to his mouth. He was going to end up headless like that girl in Fuji’s story!

“Meow.”

Ino’s eyes opened.

“Ino!” Kiyo was running back to him, holding up what looked like a stick. He was yelling at the top of his lungs.

“Kiyo! Kiyo!” Ino stood up, and the weight left his back. “No, it’s just a cat! Everything’s alright!”

Kiyo’s yells faded away. “A cat?”

“Yeah.” Ino turned around and scooped the cat up into his arms. It meowed again. He’d never felt so relieved before. He approached Kiyo. “See?”

At the sight of the cat, Kiyo lowered the stick. “Thank goodness.” He tossed the stick off to the side and sunk to his knees, burying his face in his hands. “Oh, Ino. I was so scared. I thought the bodiless woman had actually gotten you.”

Ino kneeled down in front of him. “I thought so, too.”

“I’m so glad,” Kiyo said. “So glad…”

“Were you thinking about her when the dogs started barking?” Ino asked.

Kiyo let out a sigh. His hands fell from his face. “Actually, I was thinking about her before we even started walking through the neighborhood, but you looked so calm that I felt there was nothing to worry about.”

“Eh?” Ino held back a wince. “I wasn’t feeling calm at all! I didn’t even want to take the shortcut in the first place.”

“Really?” Kiyo stared and Ino nodded.

Kiyo slumped forward. “I guess it was pretty stupid of me to suggest taking a shortcut…”

“No,” Ino objected, “not at all. It was a smart idea. It’s just…” The cat began to wriggle in his grasp and Ino let it go. He watched it stride off into the darkness. The little animal had caused them so much trouble, but then again… He chuckled. “I guess we were both being pretty silly.”

Kiyo let out a little laugh. “We must have sounded so crazy.”

“Mm.” Smiling, Ino took Kiyo’s face between his hands and kissed him.

“I’m never listening to another of Fuji’s ghost stories again,” Kiyo mumbled after the kiss.

“Same,” Ino agreed. “Never again.”

* * *

-

-

-

-

“Hey, Fuji.”

“Yeah?”

Kogure and Fuji were standing off to the side, waiting as Okubo tried scooping for goldfish.

“About your story last night…” Kogure said. “The bodiless woman… It was actually a cat, wasn’t it?”

“What do you mean?” Fuji asked.

“The ‘bodiless woman’ probably had a lover or something who was around when she got decapitated, and they took her head when no one was looking. They were also the one committing the murders and had a cat that came along with them. In such a scared state, the people probably mistook the cat as the woman’s missing head. And that explains why dogs barked.”

“Uwaah, Kogure! You should be a writer!” Fuji was impressed.

Kogure looked at Fuji. “So am I right?”

“Beats me.” Fuji shrugged. “It’s just a story I heard from a friend of mine.”

“Ah!” Okubo cried and Fuji ran to him. “I got a goldfish!”

Kogure crossed his arms and shook his head, smiling to himself, before joining his friends. “It’s about time, Kubo!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you tumblr, check out the fanfic here: http://faerielament.tumblr.com/post/132278726356/slow-starter-summer - and reblog/like!


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